Railway.



N0.74s,170. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

- s. B. JACKMAN.

RAILWAY APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL. V 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

:3: .9 I K C :8: 5 I: 11:]: :1

B Q a C 2G: I! 5B: D

No. 743,170. PATENT-ED NOV. 3, 1903. S. E. JAGKMAN RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1903.

A 77OHNE YS.

m: Nomixs Perms cc. PHOYO-UTND.. WASHINGTON. 0v 1;.

UN TED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 743,170, dated November3, 1903.

Application filed August 24, 1903.

To a whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LSTEPHEN EDWARD J ACK- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and aresident of the city of New York, Coney Island, borough ofBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Railway, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The invention relates to Switchback or inclined gravity railways, suchas are used in pleasure-resorts, exhibitions, and the like.

The object of the invention is toprovide a new and improved railwayhaving a continuous track for the cars to travel on and arranged tofacilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of the passengers and toafiord an exciting and interesting ride for the passengers.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothviews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. i

The improved switchback or gravity railway is provided with a continuoustrack for cars to travel on, and the said track consists, essentially,of a station-section A, an uptrack B, inclined upwardly from one end ofthe station-section A, a home stretch O, inclined downwardly and leadingat its lowest point to the section A, and an inclined loopsection D,connecting at its upper end with the upper end of the uptrack B andleading at its lower end to the upper end of the home stretch G.

The loop-section D when viewed inplan appears withinthe space extendingbetween the station-section A, the uptrack B, and the home stretch O, aswill be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1, and the beginningcurved portion D and the terminal curved portion D of the loop D arelocated one above the other, while the other curved end D of the loop isadjacent to the station-section A. The sides D and D of the loop DSerial No. 170,660. (No model.)

appear in plan, however, approximately parallel to the uptrack B and thehome stretch C, respectively; but it is expressly understood that thesaid loop sides D D are spaced from and extend along the inner sides ofthe said uptrack B and the home stretch C.

In the uptrack B is arranged an endless propelling-chain E, havingspaced cross-bars for engaging projections or arms depending from thebottom of a car or vehicle F, adapted to travel over the continuoustrack, and the said endless chain E is driven by a suitable mechanismfrom a power-house G, preferably arranged within the track, as indicatedin Fig. l, to save space.

The station-section, as illustrated in Fig 2, appears built on theground, while the uptrack B, the home stretch C, and the loopsection Dare shown supported on a frame work H; but this part of the apparatus'isnot material, as the continuous track may be located in a building, ifdesired.

A station I is arranged on the out-side of the station-section A and isprovided with an entrance side I and an exit side P, as shown in Fig. 2.

Now passengers desiring to enjoy a. ride in a car over the railwayembark at the entrance side I of the station I, and the car thus filledwith passengers is pushed by an attendant to the bottom of the uptrackB, so that the endless chain G now engages the car and pulls the same upthe uptrack, and finally the said chain disengages the car when reachingthe summit, so that the car now runs by its own gravity over theloop-section D to finally pass down the home stretch 0 back onto thestation-section A at the exit side I of the station I, so that thepassengers can disembark from the car, and as soon as the latter isemptied it is pushed to the entrance side of the station and theabove-described operation isthen repeated.

By the arrangement described a very interesting ride is provided for thepassengers in the car, as the car first travels up on the uptrack on oneside of the structure, then passes around the loop within thestationsection, the uptrack, and the home stretch, and then thecarfinally passes over the home stretch to the exit side of the station.Thus passengers in cars traveling over the continuous track are inconstant View of each other except when cars travel simultaneously overthe superimposed loop ends D and D From the foregoing it will be seenthat the railway takes up comparatively little space, but affords a longand very interesting ride, and the cars always remain on the track.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A railway provided with a continuous track,consisting of a station-section, an uptrack-section inclined upwardlyfrom the said station-section, a home stretch inclined downwardly andleading to the said station-section, and a loop-section connecting theupper ends of the said uptrack and home stretch with each other, thesaid loop-section Viewed in plan being arranged within the space betweenthe said station-section, the said uptrack and the said home stretch, asset forth.

2. A railway provided with a continuous track, consisting ofastation-section, an uptrack-section inclined upwardly from the saidstation-section, a home stretch inclined downwardly and leading to thesaid station-section, and a loop-section connecting the upper ends ofthe said uptrack and home stretch with each other, the said loop-sectionviewed in plan being arranged within the space between the saidstation-section, the said uptrack and the said home stretch, and thebeginning curved portion and the terminal curved portion of the saidloop being arranged one above the other, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN EDWARD JACKMAN.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER VAN WAGoNER, JAMES A. HEALY,

